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Quincy aquatics manager outlines safety, staffing and new programs ahead of aquatic center opening
Summary
Aquatics manager Amanda Bogle told the city council she attended an industry conference that emphasized emergency action plans and supervision standards; she said the new facility's features will nearly double required lifeguards and outlined planned programs and certification steps.
Amanda Bogle told the Quincy City Council that she attended the Aquatics Professionals Conference in Colorado Springs and brought back safety and programming guidance for the city's new aquatic center. She said conference sessions focused on risk management, lifeguard operations, leadership and industry safety standards that local pools and recreation programs rely on.
Bogle said trainings examined why lifeguards sometimes fail to recognize drowning victims and reviewed emergency action plans (EAPs) and staffing models. "EAPs stand for emergency action plans," she said, and the conference provided a model approach the city can adopt. She added that the new aquatic center's features ' the lazy river, climbing walls and separate slides ' will require more lifeguards on deck than the old facility, increasing from roughly five guards to as many as nine or ten per shift.
On programming, Bogle described ideas intended to broaden community use of the center, including movie nights, camps ("mermaid camp"), Aqua Zumba and senior water-walking classes. She said the department is working on standardized in-service training and a pool-specific safety plan aligned with the model aquatic health code the state is expected to adopt in 2027.
Council members asked whether the conference materials offered enough guidance to rework schedules and maximize facility use. Bogle said she intends to add programs rather than replace the previous schedule, and that she has follow-up online sessions with trainers to refine the EAPs and staffing placements. "We're about halfway through the safety plan," she said, and expects additional review with trainers once a draft is complete.
Bogle also said she will take the national aquatic professional designation exam within the week to become certified to national standards. The presentation concluded with council members thanking Bogle and emphasizing a focus on safety and program growth as the opening approaches.
